Pygmalion
by Abra de Winter
Summary: The four guys take under their wing a girl. Falling in love with her best friend, isn't a bright idea. Because she thinks said friend is gay, actually makes it a bad idea. But things aren't always what they seem. More of a fantasy than a plot. COMPLETED
1. The Beginning of A Beautiful Friendship

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Guy Ritchie and the setting is an imitation of the one in "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels"

This is not an actual self-insertion. 

I'm sorry I wasn't able to recreate the atmosphere of the movie. Or the way they talk. This is an example of what I think a fanfic should be: what a person would like to see in a favourite movie.

****

The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship

Tom came in from the rain to find his friends waiting for him. He was always glad to see them, but he expected JD's to be deserted at this hour.

"We were givin up on you!" Soap addressed him.

"Why? What happened?"

"What happened?" it was Bacon's turn to pick on him. "You were s'pposed to meet us here an hour ago!"

It started to come back to him. They said something about a soccer game about a week ago. He was too preoccupied with the latest "shipment" of stereos and it slipped his mind. 

"You did get the tickets?" Ed asked, a little worried of Tom's oblivious air.

Luckily he got them a couple of days ago. He reached in his pocket.

"Yes. I have them right…Shit! My wallet's gone. That mangy kid!"

He ran out the door in the pouring rain. His friends turned around in their seats and went back to their drinks. Fifteen minutes later, Tom came back in. He was soaking wet and out of breath from running. They didn't have to ask him anything.

"That's one way to lose weight" Ed remarked. "More people should give up carrying wallets"

Bacon grinned, but he wasn't happy. The footer was gone.

"This filthy kid stumbled when I got out of the car" Tom proceeded to explain catching his breath. "He must have lifted my wallet then. There was no sign of him anywhere"

"So, what now?" Bacon asked, bored.

They ordered another round.

****

~~~~~ A month later ~~~~~~

The four friends were in the back of Tom's shop. After the frightfully close call, which was the half a million pound affair, they laid low. They still had no perspectives for regular lives, no drive to start working steady, unrewarding, average jobs, no more energy for bold, new schemes.

Tom was busy shouting at them to keep their hands off the casings of the different items when he noticed someone roaming about the place. The silhouette of a young boy walking up and down the isle, sizing up the place made him aware that something wasn't cosher. He tiptoed and grabbed the kid just when he was smuggling a walkman in his coat. 

"Gotcha you little bugger!"

The boy tried to pull himself out of Tom's grasp, but he was ready for that reaction. 

"Where do you think you're going?"

Tom dragged him in the back to deal properly with the little thief. Soap was the first to react.

"What do ya think ya're doing? Give the kid a break! What is this? Oliver Twist?"

"He was shop lifting! You think I should pat him on the back and wish him Happy fucking Birthday?"

"You don't have to hold him like that" Soap didn't give up. 

As soon as Tom eased the grip, the boy headed for the door. Bacon closed the door with his foot making the kid to bang his head on the it.

"See?"

"He's a wild one all right" Ed remarked. "Let's see what he got"

He shoved his hand in the kid's chest pocket to get the walkman, but he pulled it back as if it burnt him.

"I don't think he's a boy"

"What?" the others exclaimed in one voice.

Tom lifted her chin and pushed aside the hair covering her forehead. Bacon and Soap came closer as well. The girl struggled, but eventually she had to accept their scrutiny.

The four guys were stumped. Bacon started talking, shocking himself as well as the others by adopting a paternal tone.

"Do your parents know you're going around shops nicking other people's goods?"

"No, they don't"

Her accent was terrible. An abominable mix of Irish and cockney. 

"Why aren't you in school?"

"'cause it's the Easter 'oliday, you infidel!"

The accent sickened them again. 

"So you're gonna turn me in to the police now?"

"You're the kid that nicked my wallet" Tom recognised her.

"No I'm not" she lied.

"Did you like the match?" Bacon asked her, spiteful. "Do you want a cup of tea or something?" he regretted it immediately. 

The girl looked rather pathetic. She was skinny, her clothes were old, but clean, her hair was properly combed and her eyes had an air of broken innocence that touched a cord inside Bacon. A fatherly instinct took over him, making him want to protect her.

Looking at the others, he guessed they were going through about the same feelings. She saw their change of heart and the tension inside decreased a little. The adrenaline was still pouring heavily through her blood, but she received an "out of danger" signal.

"What's your name?" Soap asked. 

"Addie" she whispered.

"Well, Addie, let's get you to lunch" he offered his arm.

Tom tried to voice a different opinion, but the other's cold looks made him swallow his words. He was actually moved by the girl's attitude just as much as them. But he didn't believe in showing emotions. Affection was a sign of weakness. They shouldn't get attached to a little thieving girl. No matter how sweet and sad she looked. Tom's thoughts dissolved in a warm feeling of responsibility when the girl stumbled and he had to grab her arm to keep her from falling.

~~~~~ 

Two hours later they managed to extract her life story. Her name was Adelaide, but people were calling her Addie. She was living with her grandmother in a small flat in the area. Her parents lived in Northern Ireland and they had sent her to London after her brother died in an explosion. She was fifteen, she was living mostly on the streets, she hated school and she wanted to make money fast, the means being less important.

They saw so much of themselves in her that they decided in one unspoken thought to adopt her. Maybe this was the first step to maturity. Because they found themselves in the unfamiliar position to take responsibility for their actions, since these actions had an effect on another human being. 

****

~~~~~ Four years past since that day ~~~~~

For the next four years, Addie became a part of their life. Her influence on each of them amazed J.D. When the trouble with Harry happened, J.D. gave up all hope that his son would one day become a responsible adult. A week after Addie entered his life, when he found out she needed money for books and clothes, he accepted the offer of a casino. He was, undeniably, a genius with cards, so he made an effort to put it to good use. He bet on his best asset and became a consultant. 

Ed was making a lot of money doing what he did best.

Tom gave up most of the unlawful pies he had his dirty fingers in.

Bacon used his persuasion techniques to develop a small firm that had as main activity putting people in touch with the right people. The "Aladin" was doing rather well and he was successful in avoiding all illegal temptations. 

Soap went on being a chef, supporting his friends' initiatives of cleaning up their act.

Ed was unquestionably the star of this little group. He was a handsome young man and his job required him to dress well in all occasions. Addie knew from day one that she was in live with him. His kindness, the patience he had to correct her accent and her savage behaviour made her keep silent. He was just nice to her, he treated her like a younger sister if not like a daughter, so to confess her crush could only bring an awkwardness that she did not want.

She confined herself to a silent adoration. She suffered all through Ed's affairs, the only consolation being that Soap was there with her. Their weekly cooking classes turned into long conversations about Ed and life and Ed and cooking and Ed. For as long as she knew him, Soap never had a girlfriend, so she assumed he was gay and just as much in love with Ed as she was. And just as hopelessly. 

~~~~~~~~ 

It will obviously have a second part. It shall be a romance! This I vow! J 


	2. Part two

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Guy Ritchie and the setting is an imitation of the one in "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels"

****

Part two

Addie was running to Soap's restaurant. Her classes lasted longer than she had expected and she hated to be late meeting him. After four years of intensive training she was still an awful cook and showed no signs of improvement, but the "Soap days" were the highlights of her weeks. 

****

6 p.m. The place was closed for business, as it was every Monday. She knocked on the back door and he opened right away. 

Feeling guilty, Addie missed the expression of relief on his face. Half an hour ago Soap started to worry. Five minutes ago he thought of calling the others. One of them always knew where she was. On Mondays it was usually his turn to know. On Mondays she was with him from five till late at night. He started to wait for the Mondays with impatience. 

The previous weekend they were in a fancy new club Ed got them in, they were drinking, chatting, looking at people the way they always did and he found himself wondering if he had all the ingredients for the dishes he wanted to prepare with her. The others started to tease him when he wrote on a napkin a list of things to buy for Monday.

"I'm so sorry I'm late. The classes and the tube and the weather…" she stopped when she saw him smiling.

He wasn't upset. If he wasn't upset, everything was all right. She relaxed and smiled back.

If she was all right, he was happy. He smiled hearing her polished accent and cultivated voice. Ed had worked miracles with her. 

Soap knew of her crush on Ed. Everyone except Ed knew about it. They were all calm as long as it was nothing more than a childish infatuation, as long as Ed knew nothing about it and did nothing about it. They patiently waited it out, trying to keep her out of harm's way. The vivid debates they had when she had her first boyfriend made J.D. give them the first fatherly advice they ever heard from him. 

__

"Let the girl think with her own head and be prepared to pick up the pieces if something goes wrong. And kill the bastard if he hurts her"

They were drunk enough by then to take the advice. 

It was Soap and not Ed the one who picked up the pieces after her first lovers' quarrel. It had been Tom the one that first made her laugh after that. It had been Bacon the one who introduced her second boyfriend and almost got lynched.

~~~~~ 

****

8 p.m. Soap's generally sterilely clean kitchen looked like a war zone. The blender acted up and half the ingredients were on the walls and Addie dropped the hot saucepan on the stove. She knew Soap was a maniac for keeping things clean, so she checked his face for any signs of outrage. She only saw concern.

"Are you all right? Let me put some butter on that"

"That's only a myth, you know? It has no real effect…"

Soap's touch felt electric. He rubbed the butter on her burnt hand. His fingers applied a gentle pressure on hers. She tried to pull her hand away, but his firm grip restrained her. 

"Does it hurt?" he asked, ever so gentle.

"Mmm…" was all she could utter.

It felt strangely delicious. She regretted when he finally let go of her hand. 

"Listen to this" he turned up the music. "Ed says this is going to be the sensation of the year"

__

*Ed* she thought, while the dizzy feeling generated by Soap's touch was replaced by a dizzy feeling brought on by the mention of Ed's name. 

The music didn't have a calming effect either. The insinuating melody only made her dizzier. 

"I didn't know Ed had any musical interests"

"There're a lot of things you still don't know about Ed" he teased her.

"I thought we pretty much covered all his past, present and future in the last couple of years"

"It's more to him that meets the eye"

"I bet" she grinned back at him.

Soap came to her and silently invited her to dance. She felt uncomfortably, intensely thrilled in his arms. Their dance was rather a walked embrace. Their bodies were getting closer, moulding on each other in an intimate touch. Instinctively, her hands left his shoulders and worked their way up, caressing his neck, tangling her fingers in his hair. Soap's hold became stronger, leaving her breathless.

His brain short-circuited at her touch. None of the reasonable warning sings came into his mind. None of the self-imposed taboos stopped him from relishing the delight of her caress. He held her tightly for a few seconds, a little afraid that the next move could ruin the beauty of the moment. 

Addie buried her head in his shoulder, breathing warmly on his neck. She wanted something, but she was unsure what. She was uncertain whether she wanted it from Soap. Soap was her friend. He wasn't like that. He was probably disgusted by her behaviour. But her reason lost the battle. He smelled so… right… She touched shyly his neck with her lips. She felt his embrace like a shroud of fire all around her. Taking advantage of his silence, she kissed him again, this time higher, on his jaw line. Addie felt him shiver and that was the last conscious thought she had.

Soap couldn't believe what she was doing. Or the way he reacted. He was overwhelmed by the sensations. Nothing like this had happened to him in the last five years. Not since his accident… 

Unable to control these new emotions he responded in the way that came natural. When her lips touched the corner of his mouth, he gave in to his impulses. He put one hand behind her head and started kissing her properly. He wasn't a tease. At first, he only stroked her lips, but soon he entered her mouth, tasting her patiently and wildly. She answered just as passionately, his expert kiss arousing her, making her want more. They fed upon each other's desire, ready to go to the next stage, when the annoyingly loud ring of Soap's phone broke them up. 

Seeing Bacon's number on the screen of his phone, Soap tried to cool down. He answered in a husky voice.

"Yeah"

"What the fuck are you doing? I knocked on the door five minutes"

"Errr, you're still here?"

"No, I'm calling from the Buckingham Palace! 'f course I'm bloody here. Open the back door, I'm freezing"

"Coming" he hang up. "It's Bacon"

Addie looked quite flustered, but there was no time to say anything now. She watched him leave the room and leaned on the wall. Her knees were shaking, her whole body was shaking. She couldn't understand what had just happened.


	3. Part Three

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Guy Ritchie and the setting is an imitation of the one in "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels". I might borrow an idea or two from "Snatch."

There is a good reason the story is included in the "Fantasy" genre. It bears less and less resemblance to the source. Sadly.

****

Part three

"Hei, kid, you're still here!" Bacon sounded surprised.

"Yeah, we were cooking"

"Something exploded in her' or what happened?"

"The blender" Soap stepped in to help. "Why d'you come?"

"I need your van tomorrow. Do you need it?"

"No. All yours" 

Soap threw Bacon the keys, wishing to find a topic of conversation.

"Do you need a ride home?" Bacon asked her, helping himself to a sandwich.

"Err.. I should stay and clean this mess. Wait for me. It won't take long"

She didn't want to be alone with him and he couldn't blame her. He wasn't sure what to make of what had just happened. 

"It's OK. I'll clean up in no time"

That spelled rejection in any language. Addie thanked him, waved good bye and rushed out. Bacon didn't seem to notice anything out of order. He just mistook her silence for fatigue. 

She was staring blankly to the city lights running outside the window. This made her feel dizzy, so she moved her glance inside the car. Soap's van had hundreds of clues of his presence. A pair of sunglasses forgotten carelessly between the seats, an old issue of "The Sun" with drawn moustaches on celebrities' faces, a broken Beatles tape. She picked it up, the first song was "Yesterday". 

__

"How appropriate", she thought. _"My troubles were not as much away as they were different. Yesterday. I wonder what is Ed doing now?"_

The last question popped into her head out of habit. But she fought the _"I wonder what is Soap doing now?" _question. She looked at Bacon. She couldn't talk to him. What good would that do?

The most unbearable of all the mementoes of Soap's existence was the scent. The van had his aroma ingrained in every fibre. Not as much as the nice artificial smell of his after-shave, but the more intimate smell she discerned on his neck and on his hands. The smell of fine, plain English soap and the Mediterranean herbs. She couldn't stop the sigh, but she coughed over it.

"You ok? You're awfully quiet"

"I'm just tired" she smiled. 

Last week she thought that her friends seemed to have implicitly handed out the parts they wanted to play in her life: Bacon was the father figure, Tom was the uncle, Ed was the romantic ideal and Soap was the substitute brother. Things change. 

****

~~~~~ The night passed ~~~~~~~

The first semiconscious thought was _"Mmmm"_ and the memory of Soap's lips.

The first conscious thought was _"Oh my Lord, what have I done?"_

It all came back to her. The unbelievable passion stirred by his kiss, the urge to have him, completely… She moaned, recollecting the sensations. 

__

"What's wrong with me? He's gay! He is not attracted to women. He probably washed his mouth with soap after that. They don't like women! He doesn't! God, how am I ever going to face him again!"

Why couldn't she feel that about any of her boyfriends? Some of them were quite inappropriate, but none of them was such a huge taboo. 

The cold shower could hardly make her feel better. 

~~~~~ 

Soap was collecting his thoughts. What the hell had happened? He couldn't sleep that night. He reached for the cell phone several times. Calling Ed in aid of this problem was not an option. Addie was their kid. He could only harm her. That's how they were all going to see it. That was just how he'd see things if something like that had happened to another one of them. 

Life is funny that way. Before last night, he imagined Ed would be the one to hurt her. Not him. The fact that Addie was the one that caused his reaction took the joy out of the event itself. Soap hadn't reacted that strongly to a woman's touch in the last five years. He was getting over it. The doctor had told him it was all in his head, but Soap stopped trying shortly before Addie came along. He contended himself to monthly visits to a professional establishment and that was that.

~~~~~~ 

"What happened to Addie?"

Ed's question felt personally addressed to him. 

"I don't know. Why?"

"I haven't seen her in a week or so"

"She's very taken with her new boyfriend. Apparently this one doesn't ask _how high_ when she tells him _jump_" Bacon informed them. "But she doesn't want to introduce him to us. She said we freak them out."

What was that Soap was feeling? Relief? Jealousy? He couldn't tell.

"I heard about this place" Ed started wavering. "Some people I know are going to some illegal boxing matches. The bets are very impressive. I think"

"Illegal?" Soap cut his words short. "I thought I were out of that shite"

"Let's hear him out" Tom pleaded.

Soap looked at him appalled. It was happening again. He could remember the casual way Ed mentioned about this "game of cards" he heard of. Heavy betting and everything. He never breathed a word about Hatchet Harry until the shit had hit the ceiling.

Ed's story seemed fine on the surface. They had heard of some of the darker figures in it, but the bets seemed cosher. They felt they needed to make one last score, one last big hit before leaving the "shadowlands". 

That had disaster written all over it. Soap felt the attraction of the old ways almost as strongly as his friends. He made a last attempt to be the voice of reason anyway.

"There are a million things that can go wrong. Why might not be as lucky as the last time"

Three pairs of eyes pierced him. They had an unspoken agreement never to mention the trouble with Harry. It was a jinx. 

"So, are you in?" Bacon dotted the i.

"Yeah, I'm in!"

~~~~~~~ 

In the following weeks, they became regulars of the betting circles again. They played safe, like the respectable businessmen they were. This was not in nature, so the restraint wore off pretty soon.

The summer holiday arrived and Addie decided to spend it with her parents, as far from Soap as she could afford. With their Jiminy Cricket out of the way, the boys jumped to heavier bets. Up to late August, lady luck stood by them. 

Addie came back in September and with her the misfortune hit the bunch.

~~~~~~ 


	4. Part four

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Guy Ritchie and the setting is an imitation of the one in "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels". I might borrow an idea or two from "Snatch." And a little scene from fastfood junkie's "Lock, Stock and two Drowned Rats". Thanks for the inspiration.

This is getting to seem like a trip on the Fantasy Island for me. 

****

Part Four

"How was Ireland?" asked Tom, picking up her luggage. 

Addie gave him a haunted look. She hadn't slept in about a week. She shook her head and tried to focus.

"Fine. Except the weather. How are you?"

She was making car talk. Short, unimportant questions. 

"Oh, we're fine"

"We?"

"I thought you asked about all of us"

"All in due time. How're businesses? Still clean?"

"Yeah. Sure. Why?"

"Just wondering. I heard stories about your past. They say you were a bunch of wise guys"

"Dead and buried. We're cool now"

"Are you meeting them soon?"

"They're supposed to come at JD's in an hour"

"Can you wait for me to shower and change? I can't wait to see you guys"

"OK" 

Tom had some errands to run, but he couldn't refuse her. He started browsing through her magazines. All girl stuff. He was in the middle of a Cosmo quiz when she emerged from the bathroom. There was something different about her, but he couldn't put his finger on it. She looked… more mature. Or something. 

"Are we going already?"

She had some cheek! As if he kept her waiting!

JD's was packed. The bar had become increasingly popular since the bunch had straightened their behaviour. 

"Hi, guys!"

"Hei, doll! How was the holiday?"

"All work and no fun!" she kissed Bacon on the cheek and took her place by his side at the bar. "Can I have a Martini, Alan?"

The grumpy old man served her promptly. He was used to seeing them together. She thanked him, took a sip of the drink and looked in Ed's eyes:

"So you're up to your old dirty tricks again"

"Jesus, Tom, you couldn't keep your big mouth shut for half an hour?"

At Tom's panicked look, Ed guessed he had rushed in. Addie was smiling like a mischievous little devil. 

"I didn't tell her anything"

"For someone who's supposed to live out of reading people, you've never read her right"

Bacon's remark sounded a bit indiscreet, but Ed remained oblivious to what was common knowledge for the others. Soap intervened:

"What do you mean all work? What'd you do?"

"Nothing much. Helped my parents around the house"

That had passed. She talked to him and her voice didn't crumble into a sigh. 

__

*God, he's sexier than I remembered!* 

She fought the need to stare at him. The girl had forgot how she used to behave around him… before. 

"What's the shit you're in?"

"Don't think about it! It's not important"

"I bet" she sneered, but dropped the argument. 

She was never one to tell them to act properly. After all, they were the ones who had changed her. 

Soap's thoughts:

__

*She's not even looking at me. Maybe it all passed. Maybe she doesn't even remember*

Addie's thoughts:

__

*He doesn't remember. He couldn't be as cool as that if he was still disgusted by me. He was always cool. I'm going crazy, staying here, two steps from him, not… not… well, not touching him… I thought I was over that!*

~~~~~ 

Addie left the bar, alone. This was probably the last time she ever saw them like that. Her friends, no matter how much they cared about her, could be no part of this. What she did in Ireland… what she had to do here… they were better off out it. 

~~~~~

Her loyalty to the cause had always been under suspicion. Kevin's death was the only thing connecting her to them. She belonged in that war, but she'd been to busy making a new life for her in London to stop and question her allegiance.

Where could she go for help?

__

*Bacon? Tom? No. I won't have them dragged back in the mud*

Night had fallen thick on the city. Her feet took her inadvertently back to JD's. It was 1 a.m. Saturday morning. The night the guys usually spent in a club that was in for the moment, "The Grotto". She was in front of her third consecutive Martini, when J.D. came to her.

"Everything all right?"

She nodded and gave him a childish smile, much like Soap's when he was hiding something. 

"You sure?" 

"Boys trouble"

J.D. thought immediately at Ed. Her crush had lasted long enough. But something in her air tonight, made him keep his opinions to himself. She had grown up.

Eventually, Addie left. The alcohol did not have the soothing effect she hoped for. She had to do her deal with the devil.

~~~~~ 

In spite of their attention, Addie knew more about the shady world than they thought. Probably more than they knew themselves. That was a presumptuous assumption, but she believed in their metamorphoses. 

The morning after her made was made up, she went to Max. The Russian was not well known for his honesty in business, but Addie didn't have that much choice. The components had to be delivered in a week. These were hard times. 

Did she believe in the greater good? Did she believe that her actions would change the outcome? Did she care about the cause enough to risk her freedom? Maybe her life? 

She answered yes to all these questions and proceeded. 

~~~~

"What were you doing in this part of the neighbourhood?" Ed sprung out of nowhere behind her.

"It's not important" she served him back his line.

It was odd how little she felt. It could have been the numbing effect of her first step into the dark. Or just the exhaustion. She was all out of the walking-on-clouds-feeling she had when she was around him.

"Don't do anything stupid, kid!" he warned her calmly.

"I won't do anything you wouldn't do"

"That's not the assurance I wanted"

"So what was the deal you got in?"

"This isn't about us. You committed the sin this time"

That hit was too close to home. Her sin… Where to begin? The last sin was just a beginning. Leaving the old country, the last thing Mark asked her was "will you do it?". She gave him no answer. She didn't have one at the time. 

Ed was talking to her now, but his words didn't go beyond the shallow wall of her outer mind. She lied to him, with an ease beyond her understanding. Ed couldn't be her knight in shining armour anymore. This was not part of the package. When they adopted her, they did it as easily as one gives shelter to a puppy. She had no right to drag them in her mess.

****

~~~~~ Max, the Russian weapons dealer, was caught by the police. To get out if his jam, he ratted on most of his unimportant deals. Addie's was one of them **~~~~~**

When she reached the place where Max told her to meet him, her street instincts warned her something was fishy. Looking about the place, she noticed the undercover policemen. Unfortunately, they noticed her as well. She started running in the dark alleys. The rain made her skid several times. She could outrun the men, but the dogs were not as easily fooled by her evasive manoeuvres. After fighting against the guerrilla tactics of the IRA, she was skilled in the art of camouflage. But the dogs were relentless. 

She was running through the think mud on Thames's bank, hoping she didn't need to swim across it. When the first Rotweiler jumped on her. She caught its massive head and fought to keep the long fangs away from her flesh. The dog was almost as big as her, so it was quite a challenge. She pushed its head in the miry water. The huge fury body was squirming in her desperate grip. Her hands were freezing in the cool water. The rain had drawn the last degrees of warmth from the water and air. That and her weariness.

As its convulsions weakened, Addie felt the bite of a second dog. Its fangs sunk into her arm, but she didn't give in. She left the inert drowned body in the water and reached in her pocket. The blade pierced deep into the flesh. The second cut was more precise. She kept its muzzle closed, teeth jammed in her left arm and slid its throat. The warm blood poured over her own. She heard the cousins, who managed to get over the fence she had leaped over. 

She slid in the water, swimming fast to the other side. She heard a bullet pass closely beside her in the water. The self-preservation instinct turned her into a superwoman. When she reached the other side, she started running with an unnatural speed. 

The police cars were making a lot of noise, but she felt safe now. This side was her neighbourhood. She knew every dark corner, every dent in the street, every hole in the ground. She was as safe here as a chameleon in the forest. The art of invisibility, carried to perfection.

Addie crawled to Tom's place. It was closer. And he was most likely to be alone. Tom dragged her inside and summoned the others.

~~~~~ 

"She's freezing! Doesn't anything work in this blasted house?" Bacon kicked the broken radiator after he had cleaned and bandaged her wound. "We have to get her out of those wet clothes anyway!"

This announcement made them shudder. 

"Who'll do that?" Tom's tone showed clearly that he wasn't volunteering. 

Ed and Soap looked just as reluctant as Tom's voice sounded. The paternal instincts took over Bacon again. 

"Look the other way" he ordered them. 

He took her clothes off as quickly and blindly as he could. He wasn't comfortable doing that, but he couldn't let her catch pneumonia. He dressed her in his cotton T-shirt and put on her all the blankets he could find. The girl was still shivering, half-conscious. 

"She needs to warm up. The only source we have is body heat"

"Soap, you should get in bed with her"

Ed's words felt like a slap on the face. 

"No" he couldn't explain the reasons.

"We're all friends here. You're the safest one for her"

Now, how was he to explain them that his well-known problem turned into a different problem when he was close to her? He had tried to avoid being close to her ever since it happened. That didn't save him from getting up in the morning like any other guy, hard, able and willing, thinking of her. 

Tom whispered in his ear:

"You don't want Ed to be the one doing this, do you?"

No he didn't. He was still ambivalent about what he felt for her and about her feelings for Ed. But he knew he wasn't the one to give Ed the opportunity to notice that their kid had become a woman. 

"All right" 

His acceptance relieved them. 

"I'm going to the store in the morning to see the damage." Tom informed them.

"We're going by the bank to watch their routine" Ed had the plan sketched in his head.

They had their own problems to worry about. Addie's state was just another complication in an increasingly ugly situation.

"If she doesn't get any better, take her to the hospital"

Bacon's care was touching, but Soap had something else on his mind. Before all the morning's concerns, he had to go through the night. With her body pressed against his, holding her in his arms, inhaling her scent, the scent of the woman that roused him from the dead… He was **not** the safest one for her. Instead of speaking out, he lied to himself that he could restrain his reactions, that he was English, and after all, this was one thing an Englishman is known for. He lied so convincingly, that no more than ten minutes later he was next to her. 

~~~~~ TO BE CONTINUED ~~~~~~


	5. Part five

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Guy Ritchie and the setting is an imitation of the one in "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels".

****

Part Five

She had lost a lot of blood and was floating in a twilight of semi-consciousness. Soap felt her body becoming rigid when he laid next to her. She felt him only as a cold intrusion in the safe sanctuary of the blankets. 

Gradually, her muscles relaxed, as she got more comfortable. This intimacy bothered him at first. She had no idea it was him, but she loosened up. Was she that easy? Spooning against the first warm body that came her way? His sleep-deprived brain was torturing him with idiotic ideas. His hungry flesh was betraying him.

He witnessed horrified an uncontrollable, growing erection. She moved her round, firm bottom, trying to get closer to him, trying to get warmer. She rubbed it carelessly against his hardened flesh. He stifled a moan and fought fiercely the urge to put his arm over her, to fondle her, to learn every delicate curve in her body.

She started shivering again, in pain or maybe just cold… All his lusty thoughts melted for the moment in sincere concern. She pushed herself harder into him and reached for his arm. Reluctantly, Soap let her pull his arm over her waist. As the shivering didn't cease, he tightened his hold. 

He was embracing her, under the pretext of warming her up. The road to hell **_is_** paved with good intentions. The man rubbed her thigh briskly, to help the circulation. The contact with her bare skin brought back the desire, full power. Soap remembered there was an easier way to warm her up. And he was quite up to it. He thrust his hips against her, wishing to enter her body, hardly keeping his hands from wandering all over her. He could feel the desire escalating inside, his mind was invaded by pictures of him, tearing off her panties, unbuttoning his trousers and….

__

*No!* he said to himself._ *I can't take advantage of her like this*_

Addie started struggling in his arms, in a vivid nightmare. The towel wrapped around her head loosened. Soap felt the lashes of her wet hair across his cheeks. Trying to put the towel back, he felt her body shift under him. His face was two inches from hers. 

It was so easy to kiss her. What would be the harm in that? She'd never remember. He just had to lean a little over her and he'd taste it again. The bliss he'd experienced only a few months ago was just a touch away, waiting for him to dare.

Soap was playing with this thought when Addie opened her eyes. For a second he feared her reaction. But she didn't scream, didn't pull away. She just lifted her head and kissed him.

This insignificant, superficial contact cost Soap his control. He launched a devouring attack, trying to make up for the lost time.

Soap was a great kisser, due to his compulsory patience, but now, having the opportunity to go beyond this frustrating stage, he became a voracious, rushed lover.

He wanted her so badly, that his passionate kissing grew to the intensity of biting. Only when he felt the salty taste of her blood on his tongue, he stopped. Addie arched her back and moaned in what he took as pain. Several drops of blood on her neck seemed black on the pale skin, in the raw moonlight. He tried to get away, ashamed of his lack of control, but she hung on to him.

__

*She's still cold* he thought and gave up the escape attempt.

Addie wanted to bury her head in his chest, but she couldn't turn on her left side because of the wound. She pulled his arm in a futile effort to get him on the other side. She couldn't say the words, but, luckily, Soap got the point. He passed over her, very self-conscious of his stiff cock, poking boldly through the fabric of his trousers. On top of her, he couldn't help looking into her hazy eyes. Her gaze showed clearly that she wasn't aware what she was doing. 

She put her palms on his face, looked deep into the troubled green waters of his eyes and whispered a truth too long hidden

"I want you so much…."

Soap had learned his lesson. He put everything in an attempt to control himself. He continued his movement, landed on the other side of the bed and folded her in his arms. Addie fell almost instantly in a restless sleep. 

~~~~~ 

Her continuous stirrings, accompanied by enticing moans and daring caresses all over his strained body, kept him up all night. The dawn rescued Soap from the source of frustrating arousal. He rushed to the bathroom for a good old-fashioned morning jerk off. When he returned, Addie was still sleeping peacefully. He sat on the edge of the bed. 

"Wake up, kid" he shook her gently, trying to ignore the previous night's events.

Soap's face, early in the morning, was a delicious site for Addie. She smiled at his exhausted apparition and reached for him. The contact with his chilly, freshly shaven face woke her to reality. She wasn't dreaming!

"What happened?" he didn't give her time to awake properly.

"I don't know what you mean" she tried to buy time to erase the night's fantasies.

"You got here soaking wet and bleeding. There has to be an explanation for that"

"Yeah. There has to. I don't have it"

"Stop playing, Addie! Tell me!"

"The truth is… I don't remember" she frantically looked for another topic of conversation. "Who undressed me?"

"Bacon" he offered a redeeming truth. "How are you feeling?"

"Not that bad. How do I look?"

"Fine. You' sure don't wanna go to a hospital?"

"No. I'll go to the bathroom"

She waited for him to turn around, but he didn't understand.

"Where are my clothes?" she gave him a hint.

"Oh, there they are" 

Damp, dirty and half torn. She draped herself in the blanket and went to the bathroom. 

Soap tried not to think of her body, crushing the idea of grabbing the blanket off her. 

~~~~~ 

In front of the mirror, Addie reviewed the signs of the previous night. The bites, the bruises, the black circles, yep, they were all in place. 

__

*What am I going to tell them?* the crumpled face asked her from the mirror.

__

*Where am I gonna shop now? Max was the safest option I had…Mark's gonna be so pissed. And he's the nice one… Jesus, what am I gonna do?*

Now that the pain was gone, the panic kicked in, full force. The explosives had to be delivered in three days. Or someone would deliver her head. Or her family would go first. 

Soap's voice from the other room broke the stream of terror. 

"You OK in there?"

"Yeah, I'm fine" she hoped the door muffled the tears in her voice.

~~~~~ 

When she came out, Tom and Ed were back. The interrogation started.

"You gave us quite a fright" Tom opened the shooting gallery.

"What on Earth were you up to?" Ed wasn't concerned with courtesy matters. 

"Oh, nothing much" 

"You crawled here half dead! Out with it!"

"Like you've never done something like that" 

Ed's murderous look convinced her she was going the wrong way about it. So, she tried another approach.

"I was stealing apples and the neighbours dog" she swallowed the s in a nick of time "bit me" she finished with a smile.

"Try a little closer to the truth this time"

"You've always believed in tough love" she tried to get more time annoying him.

"Don't even think to piss me off"

"I wouldn't want to do that! Not take away your precious control"

"You really don't want to see me mad!" he growled at her.

Soap and Tom were watching the duel with the same impression, a lovers' quarrel. The very thing they feared was beginning under their very eyes. Everyone knew that Ed's fights always had a sexual subtext. 

"What are you guys still doing here?" Bacon slammed the door behind him.

"Trying to get the truth out of this brat"

"Did you eat?" he asked her. 

"Just woke up and they started badgering me" she thought Bacon would soften them up.

"Where were you anyway?"

__

*Drat!* 

"Well?" 

"I'd rather not tell you"

"I don't care what you'd rather!"

Bacon was the last guy in the world she wanted to annoy.

So, she unwillingly told them a short version of the truth. She'd been recruited by an extremist English organisation that tried to turn the IRA's weapons against themselves. Her brother, Kevin, died in their service. She just followed in his tracks. That was the reason her parents exiled her to London in the first place. In order to test her loyalty, they gave her the task to get certain explosive materials. She told them about the deal with Max.

"Max was arrested yesterday" Bacon informed her.

"It figures"

"What's wrong with you? How could you get mixed up in something like that?"

Addie's eyes were throwing flashes at Ed. 

"At least I didn't do it for money, Doc Holliday, the fastest card player in the West!"

"What did you do a stupid thing like that for?"

"It's in my blood. My brother died in that war. It's not the evening news for me. When a bomb goes off there, someone I know might have died!"

They'd never seen her like that. Never knew about her past, about her ideals. Ed had never seen her as passionate about anything. He realised she'd grown up.

"What's done 's done" Bacon tried to ease the tension. "Let's figure out what can we do to get out of these pickles"

"I'm leaving then, boys. To each his pickles"

"Hold on, kid! You don't think we're leaving you to deal with by yourself"

"Bacon, I appreciate it. If there's anything I can do to help you, tell me, but it's my mess and I'll sort it out"

"Bacon's right" Soap stepped in. "We're going through it together. No point arguing" he added to her incipient protests.

"Yeah, like you'd have involved me in your troubles otherwise"

"This is the situation. No need to dwell in hypothesis" Tom approved.

"So, what is your situation?"

It was their turn to bring her up to speed. Big Chris asked them for a favour. A very well paid one. He had started his own loan shark "company" with Harry's "inheritance". Things had run pretty smoothly until about a month ago, when two of his clients had disappeared. He'd asked the guys to smoke the buggers out. And since their instincts in the illegal boxing matches had cost them a pretty penny, they needed the money.

~~~~~ 

The action, in the next chapter!


	6. A little bit of action

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Guy Ritchie and the setting is an imitation of the one in "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels". This time I actually borrowed lines from the film, trying to compensate my lack of knowledge in East End language.

The plot was supposed to be something like that: 

Big Chris "hires" the guys to find some people, who owed him money. These guys borrowed the money to steal some valuable paintings and sell them on the black market, but they run into some problems with the art dealer and now they try to stay away from Chris. 

The guys lost a lot of money betting on illegal boxing fights and they need the money. Tom's shop got thrashed as a warning, so they find them and steal back the paintings (a bit of Snatch.)

Addie was supposed to buy some materials for bombs to prove her allegiance to an extremist organisation, but Max, the weapons dealer gets arrested and rats on her, so she has to get the explosives somewhere else. Bacon uses his connections and helps her out. 

In my view, the plot is secondary to the romance, that's why is so lame. (Well, that and the fact that my imagination failed me) This totally ruins the fidelity to the movie, but it's just a fanfic, not a sequel (like that wasn't clear enough!). I do wish Guy Ritchie would do a sequel! 

****

Part Six - Action!

[Addie] "Do you at least have a plan?" 

[Ed] "Yes. Unlike you" 

[Tom] "Stop flirting, you two! Let's see what to do next"

[Ed] "I've been by the bank. They have three security guards and two cameras looking straight into the street. Bacon said that in an emergency situation, the estimated time of arrival for the police and the rest of their security personnel is seven minutes. Bags of time to play with"

[Addie] "What's the bank got to do with anything?" 

[Ed] "You have to listen to the whole thing before you start asking stupid questions May I go on? Thank you. So, if something happens in front of the bank, all the police units will flock together, leaving the coast clear for us. Our guys live just around the corner, so no one will take any notice of us going in and out of there. I went by their building yesterday and saw where the paintings were. They don't have a worry in the world, they've actually hung them on the walls"

[Tom] "Probably because they don't imagine anyone coming for them"

[Ed] "Yeah, if we create a diversion, the police 's gonna be in front of the bank, nowhere near their place"

[Tom] "We should go tomorrow. It's the servants' day off and the place will be most likely deserted" 

[Soap] "What diversion?"

Silence. Bacon took the lead.

[Bacon] "A bomb"

[Soap] "A bomb? Are you crazy? We can't put a bomb in the middle of London. People will notice it, you know! Things don't work like they do in the East End!"

[Ed] "We're actually counting on people noticing it"

[Soap] "No fucking about, Ed. We'll get in a lot of trouble. And how would we make a bomb. Do any of you know anything about it?"

[Addie] "I do"

Everyone looked at her, surprised. They'd almost forgotten she was there.

[Soap] "You? How do you know something like that?"

[Addie] "It's an useful skill to have in my neighbourhood. I assume you don't actually want to hurt people, right?"

[Bacon] "Yes. Just a lot of noise and smoke"

[Addie] "That can be done"

[Soap] "How can you be so fucking calm about it?"

[Bacon] "What's the use to get worked up about it anyways?"

[Addie] "I take after Bacon, apparently"

[Tom] "What do you need to make it?"

[Addie] "I'll go shopping soon. Don't worry, it can be done out of everyday household items"

[Bacon] "I'm coming along. We'll meet at JD's around six, ok?"

~~~~~ 

Bacon watched the way her hands were skilfully preparing the materials. Assembling them seemed child's play. 

[Bacon] "Still can't get used to this side of you. It just goes to show how surprising people are"

[Addie] "It's not something I'm proud of. I was born on one side of the war, so I just embraced it. You've no idea just how liberating coming to London was. Four glorious years I didn't have to think about it, never had to make a choice. When I got back… it just felt like a piece of me had been disconnected all along and it just came back to life. Now, here, that world seems more unreal, although I know just how real it is"

[Bacon] "What is your choice?"

[Addie] "Didn't give it a hell lot of thought. The fact remains that I owe Kevin this much loyalty"

[Bacon] "You don't owe anyone anything! You have to do what you feel it's right"

[Addie] "It's right to take his place. It's right to look for revenge"

[Bacon] "You should think better about it. This isn't a club you can just stop being a member once you're in"

[Addie] "I know. But my membership was a birth right"

Bacon could see her conflict, but he didn't see a way to help her. Fights, ideals, choices… he didn't have experience with any of those things. 

[Addie] "Thanks for the help. I don't know what I would've done without you"

[Bacon] "I'm people who know people" he tried to joke away her gratitude.

[Addie] "Not just about today. I do appreciate you making the deal for the explosives for me, but I'm grateful you came along and stood by me all these years"

[Bacon] "That's not just my merit"

[Addie] "It's yours, as well. Thanks!"

She kissed him on the cheek and hugged him briefly. Living around them all this time, she became awkward in displaying her affection. 

[Addie] "We got to get to JD's"

****

~~~~~~ at JD's ~~~~~~

The gang was there when they arrived. 

[Addie] "A Martini, please, Alan" 

Her voice betrayed nothing of the turmoil stirred inside her by this wild new adventure. She was upset of the easiness with which she had slipped back into her old skin. She tried to avoid Soap's searching gaze. He was the one she feared the most when she had something to hide. And right about now, she wished to conceal her self-loathing. Their pity was the last thing she wanted. Soap's pity...

[Ed repeating the question, annoyed] "I asked you if it's any danger for the people who walk by" 

He was permanently annoyed with her these days. They knew this was not a good sign. It meant he began to feel some attraction for her. 

[Addie] "No. It's more of a smoke bomb. And I put a remote control. You'll detonate when you think the time is right"

[Ed] "We figured that Tom should stay by the bank, to mislead the cousins, if need arises, Soap stays in the van and I'll go with Bacon inside the house and get the paintings"

[Addie] "What about me?" 

[Ed] "What about you?"

[Addie] "What do I do?"

[Ed] "You stay home and cook! Soap says you need all the practise you can get"

[Addie] "I'm coming with you, Doc Holliday" (she noticed he hated it when she called him that) "It's not like any of you is any good at camouflage, they'll smell you a mile away. If I come along, we'll have some cover"

[Ed] "This isn't a Bond movie. We don't need a female co-star. You'll stay nice and clear of all this"

[Addie] "My knight in shining armour! I can deal with this situation better than you ever will. You lost all your street sense, Mr. Big Time Card Player I Only Play For More Than Ten Thousand Pounds A Hand"

[Ed] "What's got into you lately? I'm trying to do you a favour!"

[Addie] "I don't need your pity!" _*Damn, I said that aloud!*_

[Bacon] "Calm down, kid. Ed's got a point. There's no reason to drag you along."

[Addie] "Who passed the law that you can help me, but I can't help you?"

[Tom] "If she wants to come…" - he ignored the three pairs of eyes shooting at him, as he was quite used to it - "it's not like we expect an army over there. If we thought that, we wouldn't just go there unarmed, right?"

They hated when he was right. 

****

~~~~~ Things went smoothly ~~~~~

Bacon was taking the paintings to the car, when she thought of it. If she had compare Soap with him, she needed more material.

"Kiss me" she uttered clearly, amazed of her courage.

"C'mon, kid, stop fucking about! Let's get out of here" was Ed's first reaction. 

"I'm not gonna move if you don't kiss me"

He saw her, standing still in the middle of the room, looking quite resolute. Ed got more details from that one fugitive glance than he did in the last year. He noticed everything about her, the way her body got alluring, womanly shapes, the way her eyes pierced right through him, her sadness and determination. 

Addie was watching Ed, heart pounding crazy inside, knees week and hands trembling. She knew him well enough to understand that he was sizing her up. She was bluffing, but he'd never been very good at catching her reactions. She looked him up and down, rediscovering the handsome man who had been the star of her fantasies, trying to get something of the old attraction. 

He looked more like a man and less like the boy she had first saw on the mean streets. His features remained just as attractive, but something adult had crawled inside and was lighting him. 

She moved towards the door when Ed chose to take her threat seriously and came closer. She felt him hesitating for a fraction of a second. His lips touched hers, but he didn't dare to go any further. The spark of electricity caused by that touch was extending rapidly through his body. The danger had pumped adrenaline heavily into the blood stream and the sensations felt quite intense. The knowledge of the forbidden fruit made it even more so. 

Ed got back to reality before her. He pulled her hand, whispering seriously:

"We have to go"

She looked through him, trying to grasp the imminent danger. She followed his lead, unable to focus. 

Bacon was on the phone with Tom, Soap was driving and was keeping himself busy with the paintings, trying to avoid eye contact with her. This was rather difficult, since they were facing one another in the back of the van. 

"Stop messing around with them" she grabbed his hand. "Even if you don't ruin them, you're leaving your fingerprints all over them"

"Thank you, Clarice" he said mockingly in a poor Anthony Hopkins impression.

"My pleasure, Doc"

"Tom says everything went sweet at the bank"

"Let's go to Big Chris and drop these off"

"Stop by my place first, please. I have some things to take care of"

Soap obeyed her command in silence. They seemed to have nothing to talk about any more. He couldn't help resenting Ed for his ignorance about her feelings. 

"We'll be at Tom's shop later. Come and help clean up"

Soap, Ed and Addie wished that Bacon would stop being so nice to her. They just couldn't avoid each other properly if somebody kept them together. 


	7. Revelations

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Guy Ritchie and the setting is an imitation of the one in "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels".

****

Part seven - Revelations

Soap accompanied her upstairs. She felt both guilty and relieved after kissing Ed. 

"You all right?" Soap asked, not wanting to know the answer, not wanting to care. 

"Yeah. Sort of"

"Then I'm off"

"Soap" her voice stopped him at the door. "I'm sorry"

"You did great today. It worked up just fine. I shouldn't have said that you shouldn't go. There's nothing to apologise about" he desperately wanted to leave.

"Not about today" she came near him, putting an arm on his shoulder, she begged for his forgiveness again. "I shouldn't have kissed you. I hope you're not disgusted with me. You're my friend and I don't want to lose you over a stupid mistake like that"

"Why do you say that?" he was confused. _*Disgusted? Mistake? **She** kissed me?*_

"It's not my place to talk, but you have nothing to worry about. I know. I'm sorry you didn't feel comfortable enough to tell me this yourself, but I figured it out by myself"

"What?" he grew nervous.

"That you're gay. Jesus, I know I should've waited for you to tell me when you felt prepared, but I couldn't stand this tension between us. I couldn't stand you avoiding me. I hope we can get over this"

"You think I'm gay" he let the revelation sink in. "So how do you explain my reaction to your kiss? I don't recall pushing you away"

"Soap, do we have to go through this?"

He was about to set her right when her next assumption blew him away.

"I know you're in love with Ed. It's obvious that you were thinking about him"

"Why is that so obvious?" but before she could answer, he had a revelation of his own. "Because you were…"

The man left, without another word. 

__

*How did I miss this? It was so clear... she didn't kiss me. She kissed Ed through me. She just closed her eyes and pictured him instead of me. No wonder she was so bloody passionate!*

Being secure about his sexuality, he didn't mind all that much that she thought he was gay. Probably many people think so. Those who can't explain his lack of sexual affairs probably think the exact same thing. But he didn't care about other people's opinions. He knew the truth and that was enough. 

~~~~~~

__

"Because you were..."

Soap's words were still echoing in her room and in her mind after he left. Was that right? Was that amazing kiss just another fantasy in the long line of daydreams she had about Ed? She felt the warmth raising inside her at the simple memory of those sensations. 

No. It had nothing to do with Ed. She was in lust with someone even more inaccessible. She felt the desire and the desperation with equal force. She felt her body in fire, craving his touch, his possession. 

~~~~~

Addie was throwing up noisily in her bathroom. Bacon sat on an armchair and waited patiently. He came by to congratulate her for her cool behaviour, but he was happy to find out that she was not insensitive yet. Having found out about her past made him aware of how little he knew her. He took another shot of whisky.

"Hey, what you're doing 'round her'?" she asked. 

"Mandy left me" came out of him against his will. 

"What? Oh, God, I'm sorry! Why?"

Bacon lit a joint, too depressed to think that he wasn't supposed to do that in front of her. Addie poured a large Martini and asked him for a smoke. 

"She's pregnant. She just told me that and packed. Everything was going so well" he said half an hour later. 

"Do you love her?" 

Bacon thought for a long while.

"Yeah. I fuckin' do"

"Did you ever tell her?"

"Sure"

"Not in those moments, you stupid ass! Women need to hear this" she added in a whisper. 

"That seems to be about you" 

"No way! I'm not waiting for anyone to tell me something like that"

"You're still in love with him… after all this time"

"I hate him. It's not his fault. I should've known better"

"C'mon, kid! It's just a crush. You'll get over Ed"

"Soap. I hate Soap"

"Why?" Bacon was wondering if it was the weed or he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Because he's a fuckin' poof" she whispered. 

"Who told you Soap is gay?"

"Oh, come on, there's no need to hide it now. I've never seen him with a girl. He doesn't look or whistle or make comments about women. Naturally, I assumed he's gay"

"Assumption is the mother of all fuck-ups" Bacon whispered blowing a cloud of smoke. "Maybe you should know. Before you introduce him to the guy of his life" the man giggled, amused at the idea. 

"What should I know?"

"He doesn't want to talk about it… but we all know… It's only fair that you should know, too"

"What?" the suspense overcame the weed's effect.

"He had an accident… about five years ago. He was beaten by these bad motherfuckers. I mean seriously beaten. He stayed in the hospital for about two weeks. His spine was affected or something. Anyway, the idea is that he can't have sex. He likes women, at least he liked women before the accident, but he can't do anything about it"

Addie felt her head spinning. Not just from the joint. He wasn't…. She said… And he said… What the hell had actually happened?

~~~~~~~ Hours later….

Addie was walking aimlessly, trying to figure things out. Her steps took her to Soap's restaurant. Filled with regret, she walked away. 

The guys were in Soap's kitchen, ready to celebrate the job. That was supposed to be the end of all their troubles. Big Chris was going to pay them, they were going to pay the debts. 

For the first time since they had come into her life, she felt out of place. Addie walked away from the restaurant and two weeks later she crawled back to Ireland. 


	8. Interlude

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Guy Ritchie.

The idea of the cooking contest came from "Blow dry", which is a really nice movie. My version is really lame.

Kevin is "played" by Sean Bean.

****

Interlude

"BRITISH CUISINE – to be held in Derry, Northen Ireland. Police officials don't expect any problems, but they declare that vigilance will be constant" 

Bacon slammed the paper before Soap.

"So?" he raised his eyebrows. 

"Don't you feel an urge to participate?"

"Are you high? Does that sound like the sort of thing I might be mildly interested in?"

"C'mon, give it a thought!"

"Why would this be of any interest to you?"

"It's in Derry, you tit! Where Addie lives!"

"Family life got to you!" Soap tried to push away the uneasy feeling. "D'you get an invitation from her? Or any news from her? Because I haven't"

"Am I the only one who misses her?"

"Miss who?" asked Tom, over his diet Coke.

"Addie"

"You heard from her?"

"No. But we could visit her. When we're in town"

"What town?"

"Derry. Chef's entering a cooking contest" Bacon informed Tom. 

"He's what?" his friend stared back at him.

"Hei, I didn't say I'd do it!" Soap protested.

"No one's asking you to win. It's just an excuse to go there. We're going to see Addie!" Bacon put an end to the debate in a commanding voice.

"The paternal instincts are growing more ferocious by the day" Tom sniggered behind his back. 

Bacon was living his happy ending. His friends were somewhat jealous of this. Since he had settled down, married Mandy and lived an ordinary life, the gang almost broke up. The only activities they shared were soccer and weekly drinks at JD's. And the jokes about the Bacon's respectable life. 

"Hi!" Ed interrupted them. "What's up?"

"How would you like a trip to Ireland?"

"Bacon, you're not selling things on street corners anymore! Don't try to sell us this just because you need to get away from home!" Soap's remark was too sharp, but he didn't feel strong enough to see her. 

Bacon frowned. He was used to the jokes, but this was too much. He was about to tell Soap what he thought of him and his family, when Ed accepted his proposal.

"Sure. I'll ask Victoria to come along"

This was shaping up to be a defeat. Soap was out of arguments because all that he could think of was he wasn't able to see her. After dozens of women, he was still worried about seeing her. The only consolation was the malicious anticipation of her reaction to Ed's new girlfriend. Victoria Avery was a knock-out.

"OK, I'm in" Tom agreed, to Soap's dismay.

~~~~~~~ Two weeks later, on a Saturday ~~~~~~~~

There she was. The months apart had turned her in an ideal figure in Soap's memory. But there she was now. She looked younger still. In his fantasies, she was a full-grown woman. Across the street from him stood a little girl. The awkward teenager who stormed in his life. 

Bacon shouted at her, thus breaking Soap's reverie. He tried to get in character, but he had forgotten how to do that. Since her departure, he had slept with a different girl every night, trying to recover the wasted time. Maybe trying to get back at her. How was he supposed to hug her in a brotherly manner when just the thought of her carried him through other women's arms. 

__

*Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God! OH MY GOD!* was all Addie could think for the moment.

Soap and Bacon and Tom. In Derry. Across the street. Eventually the panic eased off. She started feeling her body again. The numbness in her limbs began to dissipate.

"Hi, guys! I'm so happy to see you!"

She hugged Bacon. Then Tom. Then Soap, briefly. A touch-and-go embrace. Her heart didn't stop beating. Her legs didn't abandon her. She shivered touching him. Thank God she didn't have to do this again!

Soap felt her jerk out of his embrace. This was going to be embarrassing… Her next question felt like an arrow through the heart: "Where's Ed?". Of course. What else could she want? Ed was the one, not him! He should have known better than hoping anything else.

"He couldn't come"

"The new girlfriend keeps him on a tight leash?" she smiled. 

"Sort of" Bacon smiled. _*She's over him. Finally!*_ "Do you have time to show us around?"

"Oh! Yeah. Let's go home first. I need to leave the groceries. OK?"

"Sure. The contest starts at five, we should be there by four"

"What contest?" 

Soap's face spoke volumes. Addie knew about "British Cuisine", but she never imagined him competing in something like that. 

On their way to her house, Addie was thinking how was she to break them the news. Her parents were at home, so she got out of that particular subject for a while. She managed to avoid it until they started the "debriefing". They were at the bar, swapping stories about their lives apart, when Bacon asked her after answering dozens of questions about his domestic bliss. 

"So, are you seeing anyone?" 

"I'd like another Martini"

"That sounds serious" Tom joked about her pathetic attempt to avoid the subject. "Does that mean you finally got over Ed?"

Both remarks annoyed her. And worried and hurt Soap. 

"There is this guy… Kevin… pretty serious" she mumbled. 

"When do we meet him?" Bacon took the lead.

"Do I need your blessing now?" she tried to joke, but it sounded fake. "I invited him here, after the contest. Satisfied?"

__

*I'm pretty fucking far from being satisfied* Soap was seething inside. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~ Soap finished fourth ~~~~~~~~~~

He was washing up after the six hours of preparing complex dishes, some he hadn't done since his training days, trying not to think of anything. The tough part of the evening was yet to come. He joined his friends, accepted their congratulations, but something was off. The atmosphere was a little too tense. _*So, where is he?*_ the question was echoing in his mind. He wanted out. He would be perfectly happy for the rest of his life not meeting her Kevin. And at the same time he was curious. And jealous. Was he good enough for her? What did this Kevin have that he didn't have? Well, he had Addie for a start…

Soap was watching her reactions, checking for any clues about her feelings. But if Ed had never been able to read her, he didn't stand a chance. All of a sudden, her features lit up. He followed her gaze. He was looking at her mysterious Kevin.

The man looked like Boromir, coming from the lands of Gondor, stepping out from his battles in the smoke-filled air of an Irish pub. The stranger came to them, put an arm around her waist and kissed her softly on the cheek, making her blush, delighted. Bacon and Tom smiled at her reaction. This had the feel of the real thing. Soap frowned a little, but hid this, quickly. 

Addie introduced him to her friends. She had almost annoyed Kevin with tales of them, so she wasn't surprised that they hit it off. After an hour or so, they felt like they had known each other all their lives. 

"Would you like to dance?" Soap asked her.

He tried not to see her asking Kevin's permission silently. The man smiled in agreement. In all her London stories, Addie had never mentioned the "Soap incidents". 

~~~~~~~~~ 

"It's not really my business, but he's Irish, right?" 

She nodded. Talking to Soap didn't feel easy anymore.

"Does he know… about you… about your activities?"

"Yes. We sort of rescued each other. Living here… is not all that easy"

"Good… Then it's all right. You're… fine? Here…"

Addie sighed. He was cold, yet concerned. But their problems had nothing to do with Ireland. Or even with Kevin. She had to apologise again.

"I'm sorry" she murmured in his ear. "You were my best friend. I can't believe I messed it up so bad"

Her warm breath caressed his neck. He held back the need to tighten the embrace. He looked in her eyes with a sort of sad understanding. 

"It's OK, kid!"

The rest of the dance they kept silent. There was nothing else to say. The distance between them had grown by the second. First Ed, now Kevin… There was no way out of the situation. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yes, there is a way out. Hopefully, soon enough.

Thanks a lot for the reviews! I had almost given up on the story. Thanks!


	9. Bad Timing

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Guy Ritchie.

****

Bad Timing

Soap was half asleep when he opened the door.

"Hi" Addie was nervous. 

"What time is it?" he stretched, the drinks still clouding his mind. 

"Two. Three. I don't know. Soap…" 

"Something wrong? You all right?" he finally noticed her erratic behaviour.

She fell silent so he had to check her with his hands. No apparent wounds. After the night of the dogs and knowing about her "special talent" with explosives, anything was possible. 

"What is it? You can tell me!" he encouraged her.

She laughed, tensed. 

"You're the only one I can tell this to" 

Addie avoided his inquiring look. She couldn't look at him. What if the old attraction was not dead yet? What if this was the biggest mistake of her life? 

In a completely uninspired reaction, Soap came near her. He put his hand on her shoulder, in what was meant to be an act of friendly comfort. Instead, it was a reminder of the power he held over her. Addie fell in his arms, sighing. Friend or lover, that man meant a lot to her!

He was taken by surprise, but couldn't help enjoying the embrace. Whatever the problem was, she felt she could come to him. Maybe all was not lost. Just like that first time, the embrace turned into a kiss. And all those feelings he had started to consider the fruit of his imagination were storming back in his body.

Soap was about to take her in his arms and throw her in his bed, Addie put an end to the kiss. She looked at him with eyes sparkling of tears and left. The young man stood in the middle of the room, petrified, unable to understand. Slowly, it dawned on him. That kiss hadn't meant to her what it had meant to him. This time, his ego was hurt. This time he had lost all by himself. Not to Ed, not to Kevin. He had lost to the universal truth that time heals everything. Even things that should not be healed. 

~~~~

__

*I'm over him!* she sighed, relieved. _*It was a very nice kiss, but I can't change my life for this*_ she went on arguing the common sense thing. _*It was an amazing kiss though*_ she hated to admit. But was it worth risking everything? After all, she had a crush on him. There was no saying what he felt about her. _*He didn't even try to stop me* _Besides, Soap was a nice guy, but he had enough "bad guy" in him to make a long term relationship difficult. She had a hard enough time disciplining her own rebel nature, but trying to tame him… That was too much of a challenge. _*Still… That kiss*_ a little devil in her mind said one more time. 

~~~~~~~~ Two months later ~~~~~~~~~

Soap was running late. His little restaurant was under scrutiny by one of the largest and most prestigious chains in the business. He had a million things to arrange before the "Sinclair" people came. 

He heard the knock on the door and cursed. He just didn't have any time to waste that day!

"Coming" he yelled, buttoning his shirt.

He swayed the door open and the curt words stopped in his throat when he saw the intruder. 

"Hello"

"Hello" Addie answered. 

He invited her in. 

__

*I'm so over him!* she congratulated herself. 

"Coffee?" he asked. _*How can she stay there, like nothing happened?*_

"I missed you" she said casually, like she was talking to Bacon or Tom. 

He noticed the almost indifferent tone and walked towards her. Instinctively, she took a step back. When he cut the distance between them with another step she found herself with the back against the door, with no way to avoid his presence. All her poise was beginning to shatter. And he wasn't even touching her. Yet. 

Addie tried to fight it for a moment. The nice, grown up person inside her urged her to resist. But this time another side won. 

Soap felt his chest exploding, his heart was beating a thousand times each second. This was his last chance. She was there, at his fingertips. All he had to do was to reach out and touch her. She was just another heartbeat away.

He felt her touch on his cheek and he was saved from the agony of choosing the right thing. Because no one could resist such a temptation. She pulled him closer, eager to taste him again. His lips felt dry, as if he had been thirsty for her kiss. She knew she had been, no matter how much she had lied to herself.

"I'm not letting you go this time!" he warned her in a husky voice as he pushed her in his bed. 

"You'd better not!" she replied, just as impatient. 

~~~~~~~ 

The months of intensive practise had turned Soap into an accomplished lover. He took his time, making it perfect. 

~~~~~~~

"We should've done this two years ago"

"Yeah… Does it always feel so good or I was just lucky that you've been my first?"

"You were lucky" Soap smiled and stroke her hair.

Addie got out of bed.

"I need to take a shower"

"Are you all right? You seem… sad"

"I'll be just fine"

Addie let the water run down her body, trying to collect her thoughts. It had been amazing. Too bloody amazing to get over it easily! This wasn't supposed to happen.

While Soap took her place in the shower, she started getting dressed. She moved mechanically, unwilling to face her betrayal. She was reaching for her clothes, beside the bed when Soap came out of the bathroom. He felt his body responding to the alluring sight of the woman bent over the bed. He came from behind her, pulled down her panties and caressed his way up her inner thigh. He could feel her get wet by the second and shed the towel wrapped around his hips. He thrust himself inside her, speechless, in a primitive, carnal union. Their bodies had been designed for that perfect connection, which brought them to climax in matter of minutes. 

~~~~~~

They were lying next to each other in bed. 

"I'm getting married in two weeks. I came to London to get the dress"

She didn't mean anything by it. She had no hopes Soap would stop her. She didn't even want him to try. All the wasted time stood between them like an abyss.

__

*WHAAAAT? You ARE getting married? You still are? What the hell is this? You came here, turned me upside down again and now you're off to get married? What was this? The final whim?*

Nothing of the inner outrage came out. He just rolled on top of her again and made love to her as if that was the end of their affair. 


	10. The End

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Guy Ritchie.

****

The End

Soap's big night was going great. He was ready for the thousand things that usually went wrong on an important occasion. Strangely enough, this time nothing was going wrong. Ed had taken upon himself to spice the clientele with some of London's most notorious young up and comers and the "Sinclair" people were definitely pleased with what they were seeing and let Ed know the business was as good as done.

~~~~~~~ 

Addie caught a glimpse of him through the kitchen doors. He was just perfect. She sighed. 

They didn't talk to each other, all through the evening. Addie talked to Bacon, Mandy, Ed and Victoria, acting like nothing had happened. When Soap came to their table for five minutes, she smiled a little, but didn't say a word, didn't dare to look in his eyes. She did not want to risk diving in those amazing, hypnotic, unsettling eyes of his. She managed to sneak a peak and photograph his face again. Another snap shot among the thousands memories of him. He looked tired. All the pictures she had kept locked in the darkest, most secret room of her memory were coming back, haunting her. He was just a few feet away, but the past was flowing back with a vengeance. 

She imagined him in the kitchen, ordering around the hired help, perfectly in control, utterly composed. Maybe it was his way to deal with their afternoon together, but Addie didn't think of this. All she saw was a confirmation of her fears. His priorities didn't include her. He had a life without her. 

__

*And why shouldn't he?* she asked herself, angered of the foolish hope. She'd left him without a word, with the knowledge that she was settled, that she was going to marry Kevin… She tried not to close her eyes at the sharp pain. If she left this time… she was gone for good. 

The eternal little boy, looking all sweet and precocious, the wonder child, Peter Pan and Mozart rolled into one. She knew just how much of a man he was, but the memory of their passionate lovemaking couldn't erase his daytime personality. In the every day life, Soap was a boy who refused to grow up. There was no way she'd be the one to force him into a real relationship. She loved him just the way he was. But she couldn't live with him like that. Soap was a kind friend, a great lover, but commitment… he had no experience with that. 

__

*How can he be so bloody cool?*

He had just run his fingers through his hair and was ready to go out. Addie felt again the stabbing pain at the simple memory of the rushed way in which they said good bye earlier, outside his apartment. She made her way to the ladies' room as inconspicuously as possible. She knew well how to hide her feelings, so probably no one imagined she could barely hold back the tears. 

~~~~~ In the bathroom

__

*This is such a pathetic scene!* she thought with her back against the cold wall of the bathroom. 

She did a good job fighting away the tears, but the memories were pouring. Memories of the times they'd spent together. Memories of distant past, of a friendship long since finished. And memories of love. Carnal, possessive, selfish, passionate, untamed love. 

~~~~ In the kitchen

"SOAP!" Tom yelled at him and shook him. 

"You don't have to shout" 

"It's the third time I'm calling you. What the hell is wrong with you tonight?"

"Why? What do you want?"

"Do you need anything else? It's one thing you didn't appreciate my effort to bring fresh vegetables this time, but when I'm trying to help and you don't answer…"

"I'm just worried. About tonight" he lied.

"You needn't be. It's going great. You've done great. They're gonna close the deal. They loved it"

"Yeah. Thanks. You've been great. I don't need anything else" 

That sounded totally unconvincing, but Tom didn't want to meddle, so he waved good bye and went to join the others. 

Soap was cutting the vegetables and his mind jumped to a similar scene, some five years earlier, on one of the Addie-Mondays. He remembered her fingers, so graceful the rest of time, struggling to follow his indications. His heart was leaping every two minutes as the knife regularly slipped from her hand and grazed her skin. But she'd never give up until the task was done. Another image took the place of the innocent picture of friendship. The image of her fingers unbuttoning his shirt, not five years, but five hours earlier. The sensation of her hands on his chest, burning his skin, reaching all the way through the heart. 

The man ran out of the kitchen, lit a cigarette and closed his eyes, reliving that day. 

~~~~~ In the bathroom

Addie was seeing his face, as tattooed on the back of her eyelids. She tried to stop thinking about him, about his lips, so rough at first, then softer and sweeter. How could one kiss have so much power? It all started with a kiss. Only a few feet away, in his kitchen. The first kiss and every kiss they'd shared ever since had been breathtaking, defining another bonding moment and another obstacle. She felt connected to him on so many levels and afraid of him at the same time. This was not the sort of love she had expected. She needed to run away again. 

~~~~~ In the kitchen (out the back door)

Soap looked through the darkness searching for anything to take his mind off her and bring him back in the present. If he could just keep his mind on the job for another hour… He'd talk to her afterwards. No. Not talk. He would make love to her again. All through the night and the next day and for as long as it took so she'd see her place was with him.

__

"I'm not letting you go this time"

He meant every word. Not for just one afternoon. Soap shivered recalling her touch. The feel of her naked body, pressed against his skin. Warm, vibrating with lust and fear, needing his touch as much as he needed hers. She was so beautiful, in the cruel light of day, so nervous and arousing in her shyness, so passionate and lascivious in her desire. Soap felt again the urge to be with her. She was in his reach again, sitting at a table, chatting with their friends. For the first time, he didn't feel jealous of Ed. He never had and he'd never have her. She belonged with him. To him. He had been blind to be worried on account of a crush she had at fifteen. She was his! He knew this in every fibre of his body. He had known it from the moment she was in his bed. He must have seen it two years earlier, at the first kiss, but thickness and love go hand in hand some times.

In his bed…he groaned just thinking of her, laying in his bed, in his power, freely abandoning herself to his will. Not wantonly, but lovingly. She was in love with him. He couldn't mistake this for anything else. He had seen desire before, but such abandonment had to come after an inner battle, much like his own. 

The best sex he ever had was actually love. How strange is that? He fought the need to go straight to her table and confess this love. He had all the time in the world. He was going to tell her, in private, over a candlelit dinner, preferably close to a bed. He grinned, thinking of the million things he wanted to do to her and to share with her. 

"Hey!" 

Soap still had a stupid grin on his face when Bacon's voice pulled him put of his dreams. He had to tell the others. It felt a bit like meeting the parents. How would they take it? _*We're all grownups. It's not like I'm a stranger*_

"Your staff says you've been here for almost an hour. Are you OK, mate?"

Soap still couldn't erase the broad smile off his face. He had to give the news to someone, why not start with Bacon? He was a tough guy, but he'd never hit a friend. Even so, it would be worth it. 

"Stop sweating!" Bacon smiled. "The evening's over. Everyone left. You're the boss, so you don't have to clean the kitchen anymore. Let's have a drink. The others are waiting to celebrate"

"Bacon, I…". This was more difficult than he thought. "I need to talk to Addie. Tell the others we'll celebrate another time, OK?"

"What did you do to her? She's gone. Called a cab, said something about an earlier flight and ran away. " 

"What"

"You know she hates airport scenes. She said her good byes here, but she didn't want to come say good bye to you. She said you've talked earlier. When the hell was that? What did you do to her?"

"She left?" Soap shook his head incredulously. "She couldn't have! She couldn't. When?"

"About half an hour ago. What the hell is going on? She acted all weird today, now you" But Soap was already out the door when he said that. 

"Where the fuck are the God damn keys!" he yelled after turning upside-down half the kitchen.

"Tom left with your car, remember?" Bacon's voice of reason didn't have the usual effect on Soap. "Get a hold of yourself, man!" the advice had the same effect. 

"I gotta get to the airport" he told Bacon, running in the dining room.

"We'll give you a lift" he offered. "I have to hear the end of this"

"Give me the keys!" Soap asked.

"We're coming with you! If you think I'm leaving you alone in this state, you're very much mistaken"

"Fine, just give me the fuckin' keys"

Bacon and Mandy barely landed in the back seat that Soap pulled out of the parking lot. 

"Now can you tell us what this is all about?" Bacon held back a curse as Soap ran a red light.

He was about to ask again, when Soap's answer came in a whisper.

"I'm in love with her"

"You're what?" 

"And she's in love with me. She just doesn't know it yet if she ran away"

"Have you ever told her this?" Mandy asked him.

Bacon almost blushed at this question. He was about to lose her at this exact same point. He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead. He felt so lucky. 

"What? Err… no. I didn't know until today" he took a wild left turn, making his passengers fear for their lives.

"I love you" Bacon whispered in her ear. 

~~~~~ 

Soap jumped out of the car and sped towards the first ticket window. 

"The flight to Belfast?" he asked the clerk, almost out of breath.

"Gate 14" she answered and saw him launching into a mad race before she could add. "It is leaving in 5 minutes. The boarding is complete"

At Gate 14, Soap found this out when he was stopped by the security. He watched the moving plane taking her away from him. He feelt the sky tumbling down on him. He was still staring blankly on the window when Bacon caught up with him. 

"Sorry, old boy"

"What are you sorry about? I'm the idiot who let her get away! Again! God!" he kicked the wall, in anger.

"Maybe it's not all lost"

"Or maybe she's going to be happy with her Kevin" Soap sneered. "I don't want her to be happy with anyone else. Am I a jackass or what? She should be just as miserable as I am. I'm going there and ruin her wedding! Her whole life if that's what it takes"

Before his friend could stop him, Soap was in line for a ticket on the next flight to Belfast. 

"Soap" Mandy called him. 

He looked at her, but he might as well have been looking through her. She snapped her fingers in front of his eyes, to get his attention.

"She didn't leave"

"What?"

"There she is" she pointed him a crumpled silhouette.

Soap stared at her. It was Addie. More vulnerable than he'd ever seen her. She hadn't left him. 

"Oh, don't chicken out! Go over there" because Soap was still petrified, Bacon thought an impulse couldn't hurt. "Maybe she didn't stay here for you. She has probably just missed the plane. Not everyone drives like you"

That felt like a cold shower. He went to her. He stopped in front of her chair.

"Hey"

Addie jerked at the sound of his voice. She looked up to him, wondering if he was really there or it was just a dream. 

"You missed your flight" _*I'm an idiot*_ he sat down near her. "When is the next one?" _*I'm a huge idiot*_

"In about three hours"

"Don't go" he interrupted her. 

"Soap, you don't have to"

"Yes I have to. I don't want you to go. I know you don't really want to go"

"Jesus, Soap, what's that got to do with anything? I can't stay here"

"Yes you can. You have to. I… I… I want you to"

"To what?" she smiled. 

He looked so much like a little boy. A tall, cool, dynamite in bed little boy. 

"To nothing. To everything. I just want you to stay. I need you to stay"

"You mean you're offering me a job in your restaurant? You realised that I am the best damn chef you've ever known and you don't want to have my wasted talent on your conscience."

He knew this technique. It was exactly what he was doing when he was afraid. Ramble about anything else. He stood up and made her get up too. 

"I need you to stay because… I love you"

He watched the change in her eyes. It looked like he had launched an atomic bomb. All the studied indifference melted and the tears came flooding. She held them back, only one escaped and rolled down her cheek. 

She put her arms around his neck and told him exactly what he needed to hear.

"I love you, Soap" 

He cut her sigh with a kiss. 

"You can stop calling me Soap, you know"

"Do I have to?" she pouted.

"You don't know my name!" he pretended to be vexed.

She whispered it in his ear and blushed as if she had done something forbidden. 

"You know how I feel about airport scenes?" she asked, resting her head on his chest.

"Yeah, sorry I had to"

"I've changed my mind" she interrupted him. 

"Besides, this wasn't plan A"

"What was plan A?"

"Let's go home and I'll show you" he said, arrogantly. "Over and over. It's about time you get used to use my name"

When they headed for the exit, Addie saw their friends. 

"Bacon's here" she whispered and held Soap's hand tighter. 

"Don't worry. I have a feeling he's not going to lecture us tonight"

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The fantasy is over. Thank you for flying "Abra Airlines". 

Plans for late September (working titles):

"Aladdin and the Chocolate Princess" (the Bacon/Mandy story);

"Jezebel" (the Ed/Victoria story) and

"Deal up!" (Tom and the amber violin)


End file.
